THE MOSQUITO. 25 



another view to which I leaned, until modern thought upset 

 me, namely, that these and several other little animals, 

 which ought not to be named in refined society, were 

 designed to promote a healthful use of Nature's currycomb 

 among a large class of people who are too much accus- 

 tomed to regard water only as a means of quenching thirst. 

 And, if all our explanations were proved to be wrong, it 

 would only show that we have still to discover the right 

 one, and we should be gainers in humility. But now Hux- 

 ley has abolished teleology, and Darwin has proved to the 

 satisfaction of every one who is disposed to agree with him, 

 that no characteristic in any animal can be explained by 

 its being beneficial to some other animal ; for only those 

 peculiarities are maintained and developed which are 

 advantageous in some way to the animal itself, and give 

 it a pull over others in the struggle for existence. And so 

 we are plunged in a mire of perplexity. For what possible 

 gain can it be to a mosquito to gorge itself on my life-blood 

 until its wings almost refuse to carry it, and it can just sail 

 slowly, like some great crimson balloon, with the wind, 

 positively inviting me to imbrue my hands in my own blood, 

 and avenge the wrongs of countless nights of woe ? Insects, 

 as every one knows, or ought to know, require no food in 



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